Riverbank council awards wastewater feasibility study, tables two value‑engineering contracts until January

Riverbank’s City Council on Tuesday approved a feasibility study for the city’s wastewater treatment expansion but delayed decisions on two related value‑engineering work orders so a newly hired feasibility consultant can begin work.

The council voted 5–0 earlier in the meeting to award a contract to Blackwater Consulting Engineers to lead a broad feasibility study of options for the aging treatment plant. Later, following an extended public exchange about rising project cost estimates, the council voted to table separate contract change orders for KSN (proposed total $194,310 including optional work) and Brown & Caldwell ($138,475 proposed) until the council’s first January meeting (each tabled by roll calls that were 4–1).

Why it matters: City staff and several residents said the treatment plant is operating near capacity and failing to meet modern regulatory expectations, while others warned the project’s price escalation threatens affordability for ratepayers. The feasibility study is intended to show alternatives, costs and funding pathways before the council commits to final design or construction.

What the council approved and what was delayed Cody Bridgewater, Riverbank’s director of public works, told the council the plant’s assumed hydraulic capacity is 1.8 million gallons per day while average dry‑weather flows are about 1.6–1.65 million gallons per day — “we’re running at about 90 to 93% capacity,” Bridgewater said — and the plant cannot consistently meet permit requirements for dissolved oxygen or newer state rules on nitrates and salts. He said upgrades or alternatives are now urgent.

Earlier in the meeting, the council approved the scope of work with Blackwater to evaluate options for expansion, alternatives such as purchasing land, phased buildouts, or partnering regionally, and to examine funding scenarios and grant opportunities. Blackwater’s feasibility study is expected to run roughly eight months and to report back to the council by mid‑2026.

Several council members and members of the public urged caution about spending additional consultant money before the feasibility study had begun. KSN and Brown & Caldwell had presented value‑engineering scopes intended to identify potential savings and produce contractor‑level cost opinions; staff said preliminary VE review had identified roughly $14.17 million in potential savings in the 60% design. KSN’s proposal included an optional third‑party contractor opinion from Ewing Construction Services to improve cost accuracy.

Public reaction and council concerns Residents at the meeting repeatedly cited earlier estimates (commonly referenced in the room as $88 million) and more recent figures placed at or above $136 million, saying the escalation made the project unaffordable for local ratepayers. One commenter asked for full pro forma documents and debt‑service projections prepared by consultants such as Bartle Wells and Associates. Council members also raised the debt service coverage ratio numbers that have circulated in past presentations and questioned whether more financial detail should be available before further contract approvals.

How council handled next steps Council members who favored tabling said pausing would allow the Blackwater kickoff meeting to establish the feasibility study’s priorities and prevent duplicative work. Those who supported approving the VE contracts argued that the VE outputs would provide Blackwater more precise, contractor‑level estimates to include in its feasibility analysis. The council ultimately voted to table both VE items to January to allow the feasibility consultant to start and for councilmembers to review budget projections and consultant materials in the interim.

What happens next Blackwater will hold a kickoff meeting within weeks to define its scope and get access to existing documentation. Staff said they will invite two councilmembers to the kickoff meeting and return the VE contract items to the council in January with updated information. The feasibility study is intended to provide the council a thorough evaluation of options, costs, and potential funding paths before any construction contracts are authorized.